BUCKEYE PARTNERS, LP

Incident Narrative

THE DS304WS LINE WAS BEING PRESSURIZED TO TEST A RECENTLY INSTALLED B-SLEEVE. (SEE REPORT NUMBER 20130143-18456) DURING PRESSURIZATION A PINHOLE LEAK WAS DETECTED BY ONSITE PERSONNEL. PRODUCT WAS WEEPING FROM THE PINHOLE. LESS THAN 1 GALLON WAS RELEASED. NO PRODUCT REACHED THE GROUND. THE SECTION OF PIPE WAS REPLACED. THE REMOVED SECTION OF PIPE HAS BEEN SENT TO A LABORATORY FOR ANALYSIS UPDATED: METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS FOR THIS RELEASE SITE WAS PERFORMED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ANALYSIS DISCUSSED IN REPORT NUMBER (2013143-18456) AS THIS RELEASE WAS IDENTIFIED WHILE PRESSURIZING THE LINE AFTER INSTALLATION OF A TEMPORARY REPAIR ASSOCIATED WITH RELEASE DISCUSSED IN REPORT NUMBER 2013143-18456. THE ANALYSIS ON WHAT WAS CALLED ""THE SECOND LEAK LOCATION"" STATED THE FOLLOWING: ""THE SECOND LEAK LOCATION COULD NOT BE LOCATED DURING LABORATORY ANALYSIS, AND NO FURTHER THROUGH WALL DEFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED DURING THE ANALYSIS."" OBSERVATIONS FROM THE ANALYSIS INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: THERE WAS EXTERNAL CORROSION, IN THE FORM OF MINOR PITTING, ON ALL PIPE SURFACES. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT EITHER EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL CORROSION CONTRIBUTED TO THE LEAK. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF IN-SERVICE (FATIGUE) GROWTH. EXAMINATION OF METALLOGRAPHIC CROSS-SECTIONS INDICATED A FERRITE-PEARLITE MICROSTRUCTURE IN THE BASE PIPE MATERIAL, TYPICAL OF THIS GRADE AND VINTAGE OF STEEL. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS INDICATED THE COMPOSITION OF THE LINE PIPE STEEL MEETS THE SPECIFICATIONS REQUIRED BY APU 5LX AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE.